Hosted by the University of Tulsa School of Arts
Alexandre Hogue Gallery, 5–7 p.m., March 5th
Ty Smith, Painter
Cristiana Prado, Printmaker (2008 LFA Scholarship Recipient)
Joseph Blair, Ceramicist
In the Alexandre Hogue Gallery, Phillips Hall
Located at 2935 East 5th Street
The exhibition runs from March 5th to March 26th.
For more information please call Mary at 621-2739
Okay, okay. I was a bit busy for February and have neglected you so. This being the sad state of things let me catch you up, quickly, before I depart on Friday to attend the Heard Museum Indian Market in Phoenix, AZ. The following are the "skinny" versions...
Philbrook Museum - "Seeing Ourselves" - A-MA-ZING! Sarah Jesse, Director of Education,and Judy Ward, Director of Communications, out-did themselves (even though they did not curate the exhibition themselves). These two incredible people made a photography exhibition into a massive celebration, one might even say party. Focused on a portion of the historic Kodak Eastman photography collection, this evening came to life via a cash bar and an old-school photo booth, like you once saw in malls. Dozens of patrons lined up to have their photo taken with their partner. Grandmas and granddaughters, spouses, friends, young and old, dressed in furs or dressed in black fishnets, Philbrook knows how to throw a party that. As for the exhibition...well, sadly, I never made it in...I was caught up in the people watching. We all realized, albeit to late, how great it would have been to photograph those prepping in line for their turn in the booth!!!
Living Arts - "Transcend" - I said I would revisit this once the exhibition came down. However, shy on time, I will only point out afew observations about exhibition that either came up via e-mail or via discussion amongst peers.
"Neo Black Arts Movement of Oklahoma" - What was the previous Black arts movement? Are their academics involved in this movement, writers, performers? If so, who are they? - "Inclusion in art is credited with pioneering the enthusiasm for interest in Black artists..." Who credited Inclusion with this title? How inclusive is Inclusion, meaning who and how many Black artists are being referred to in the phrase "interest in Black artists?" - "While some of the work is concerned with social issues, much of it is a raw, free explosion of creative expression." Is "raw" and "free explosion" integral or unique to the "Neo Black Arts Movement?" - "...participating artists give a rich display of variety that is just as diverse as Black culture itself." What does this mean? - "Black art is anything it wants to be. Transcend goes beyond the surface of Black creativity and goes to the soul of it." Again, what does this mean and how does it coincide with what was exhibited?TYPROS - Had a luncheon with Chris Oden (Director) and Karish Arnett (Chair) of Tulsa Young Professionals (an arm of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce) regarding TYPROS current and future roll in the Arts. It was a very illuminating meeting. I am excited to see what TYPROS can do for the ARTS in the coming years. Did somebody mention an arts trolley???
George Kaiser Family Foundation - Lunch with Stanton Doyle of the GKFF...I must say I was surprised. Approachable, passionate, dedicated, Stanton is an asset, not only for the GKFF, but for Tulsa. There are many great things on the horizon for the Brady/Matthews area. Like Warren Buffet, follow where the money goes...it leads to Downtown.
Greenwood Cultural Center - Uhhhh...2 staff members, a giant beautiful facility, an amazing resource, excellent community educational programs, and almost entirely disconnected from the rest of the city (or should I say everything South of the 244 overpass!!!). Thanks to Mechelle Brown at the GCC and Sarah Jesse at the Philbrook, things are going to change...soon.
Tulsa Indian Art Festival - Didn't make it this year. Stephen Wood won 1st in Ceramics and 3rd in Painting. This was the festivals first year at the Spirit Center in Bixby. I've got the sense that the move hampered attendance, this was in addition to a major snafu with the preview party invitations. Better luck next year.
Philbrook Museum - "3rd Thursday " - Couldn't make it. Let's see if we can find Sarah Jesse for a report!
Oklahoma Leadership Arts - Wow...didn't know what I was in for. 30 people chosen to participate in the state and federally funded arts advocacy program "Leadership Arts". 4 months, 4 different communities. The first was Lawton...who knew their art scene was so active, particularyl with theatre? Quite an amazing community that has accomplished an embarrassing amount of cultural and artistic goals. This month is Bartlesville.
Gilcrease Museum - "Native American Artists: From Ledger Art to Post-Modernism" - Did anyone make this?
Bacone University - Tony Tiger's Students - A little show and tell with Bacone art students.
Oklahoma State University - Chris Ramsay - Serving as the very busy interim Director for the Arts program at OSU, Chris has agreed to judge our Masters of Influence Invitational in June, as well as conduct a Gallery Talk Series for the Lovetts Foundation for the Arts in September.
Living Arts - "New Genre XVI" - Freelance arts writer, Holly Wall said it best: http://tulsaartblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/click-this.html
Lovetts Gallery - "2009 Spring Perspective" - Simply put, our best opening ever. 5 contemporary artists (3 painters/2 sculptors). The vibe was warm and collectors and patrons were vocal. The Spring and Fall Perspectives focus on exposing our community to artists and works that
are foreign to Oklahoma, as well as exposing artists to our "foreign" community. The exhibition hangs through March 19th.
Bizarro - Dan Piraro - The creator of the "Bizarro" comic strip, I have yet to hear from him Dan. We were supposed to do a lunch or dinner while Dan is in town for a charity event he was doing for his old high school, Booker T. We shall see!
NatureWorks - One of the highest attendance and sale records NatureWorks has ever put up. If you are into traditional wildlife or landscape work this an upper tier show for you. Friday was the preview party...you could barely walk around the place was so packed (Renaissance Hotel). We visited our artists to see how they were fairing (Jerry Ricketson and Rock Newcomb), both were rolling right along! We talked with one additional artist regarding representation, however, the approach was this, "You are a contemporary artist painting wildlife, aren't you?"...answer, "Yes."
Well, we had an opportunity yesterday, as promised, to sit down with Matthew Burke and to discuss his works on display at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery at the University of Tulsa, as well as his work, vision, and progression as a whole.
Two of the first things discussed were the two "boat" pieces immediately visible as you walk into the exhibit. One being the previously mentioned canoe, the other being a small piece of wood that resembled a boat or some part of a boat, very simple, cut in half, with a knob and notch on opposite sides of the interior of the cut. The canoe was, as we assumed, making an obvious ecological statement, however, it was also referring to the recent loss of one of Burke's mentors. It was a collaborative piece that took on additional meaning the longer Burke sat with the functional sculpture, eventually resulting in it's odd exhibition orientation of upside from the ceiling.
The canoe was dramatically displayed directly behind the more simplistic "boat" piece mentioned above. In asking Burke for some help in deciphering his work it led us to a conversation about "public art" and "private art." Burke admitted that he has been, for the majority of his career, an artist only interested in himself and his relationship with the works he produces. This is exemplified in this simple cut piece of wood. A project lasting, I believe, from 1995-1999 and prompted by the death of his Grandfather, Burke had set this piece aside for some time. However, after moving to the Midwest, Burke began seeing many of his works in a new light or context. This piece was then revisited by Burke with a certain level of deconstruction. He decided to saw the piece in half. In doing so, the piece once again became alive for Burke, eventually resulting in this more refined sculpture, suggestive of his loss.
Over the course of about an hour, I feel like Burke's work was illuminated. He opened the book of his sculpture and helped me to read the text of each piece. He admits that he has been more interested in the audience, as of late, as well as their interaction and response to his work. This will, no doubt, deeply impact the direction of Burke's work, who has stated to be in mid-career. We look forward to further interaction and dialogue with Matthew Burke who has proven to be an asset for the the University of Kansas, the Midwest, and now for Oklahoma!
Please visit the exhibit at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery at the University of Tulsa. It will be on display until the end of February. Also, to learn more about Matthew Burke and his work visit http://mattburkesculpture.com/
Last night, at the Alexandre Hogue Gallery at the University of Tulsa, we were presented with an excellent installation of works by University of Kansas Professor and sculptor, Mathew Burke. Working with very large and, at times, complex designs, Burke utilizes a combination of wood and found objects to construct these monumental pieces. In particular, Burke uses a special wood steaming technique to make the wood more pliable, thus being more receptive to his particular style of bending and weaving, some resembling the odd thatched style that can bee seen in some of Escher's Swiss and Belgium work (1935-1941).
One piece that stood out from the rest in it's composition and familiar form was a wooden canoe, suspended from the vaulted ceiling upside down with two oars floating below it. What made this piece "odd", other then it's peculiar display, was that the entire canoe was covered in plastic sack remnants from place like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Reasors, etc. This piece obvious had an environmental and political statement...unfortunately, as we were pressed for time, we were unable to talk with Burke about this particular piece. However, we had a chance to invite him to the gallery later today, at which time we will delve deeper into the reason and meaning of his work and see if we can identify and reveal Mathew Burke as reflected in his work.
A small exhibition that makes a grand visual impact. I believe this show hangs for one month. Burke will return to dismantle the exhibit as well as teach a one day public workshop covering his specialized technique for steaming wood. Please visit this exhibition and let the University of Tulsa Arts Department know how much Tulsa appreciates their efforts to bring such strong artists and works to our community!
Introduced by the gregarious and identifiably French, Ghislain d'Humieres, Executive Director of FJJMA, one of the, if not THE scholar on early American Western works, Dean Porter took the stage. With a certain excitability, Mr. Porter proceeded to actively engage the audience for the next hour or so on the Taos Society of Artists in reference to the Borderlands collection, which was awaiting us in the adjacent room. On a very packed FJJMA auditorium stage, Mr. Porter began to unroll the mystery and method behind the artistic forerunners and trailblazers of the American West, with special emphasis on Martin Hennings and Walter Ufer. I won't go into this...you should have been there...and if you couldn't make it...well, it's time to hit Amazon or Alibris and do some reading! 
Two excellent new pieces by watercolorist, Gretchen Kelly!
"He's in" - Original Watercolor of President Obama by Gretchen Kelley
Check out the great work of Leon Bedore, better known as Tes One, by clicking on the image below. Working primarily on wood, he utilizes spray-paint and mixed-media to create very stylized pop-culture imagery that certainly not only blurs the line of "pop-art" and "fine art", but absolutely transcends the stricture of the definitions! These are exceptional works in a field inundated with amateur "tag" and "graffiti"artists. Leon's work stands head and shoulders above his "contemporaries." As you may have been following, it is one of Lovetts Gallery's goals to promote more contemporary forms in Oklahoma. Providing an outlet for exposure, education, and inspiration. This is not to say, we intend to bring mediocre, derivative, or art-for-art's-sake to the attention of our community and collectorship. It is saying that through our exhibition schedule, "New Works by" openings, Lovetts Foundaiton for the Arts events, Gallery Talk Series, etc., we WILL bring in the work that adds to and continually redefines our communal fabric. Artist Statement: Conflicts of Interest Bio View and learn more of Leon Bedore and Tes One at www.tesone.net
New Day' | Spray paint on Wood | 48x48 | 2007 | Sold
"The work that I create is the line of demarcation between traditional art techniques and digital graphic design. From graffiti art and illustration, to vector graphics and raster images, the fusion of these contrasting elements are a direct representation of my surroundings and how I see them."
From crayons to krylon, Leon “Tes One” Bedore has been creating art on walls for the majority of his life. Tes became a serious street artist in 1992, painting murals and graffiti art throughout the Tampa Bay area. In 1999, he expanded on his natural artistic abilities, with that of the computer age, to develop compelling graphic designs for a number of clients. Now, Tes One is combining all that he knows from his street-art roots and his digital design experience, to create works of art that accurately depicts his perspective and the world around him. The end result of his work demonstrates the craft of his design as well as the rawness of his stenciled street art.
Another stand-out piece by Gretchen Kelly! You can click on the image to either purchase her piece or to see more of her work.
